Stone Celts Found in the Vicinity of Vernon, Texas

Abstract

Our collection, gathered over a period of years from surface sites in the upper Red River basin of northern Texas, represents only the historic and late prehistoric cultures of this region.The occurrence of pecked and polished celts in the upper Red River area is of interest since they probably represent prehistoric trade objects carried westward up the Red River from somewhere in the eastern forest area, possibly western Arkansas or extreme eastern Oklahoma. Nine of the celts described here were found along a fifteen-mile stretch of the Red River between the mouths of the Pease River and China Creek, which enter it from the south. Several camp sites are located along the south bank of the Red River between these points and two more lie at the mouth of China Creek.